


Don't Let Him Leave

by AlbusGellertAlways



Series: Grindeldore Oneshots [39]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Gay Relationship, Fix-It, M/M, Miscommunication, Summer of 1899, Teen Romance, threeway duel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-29 02:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30149067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbusGellertAlways/pseuds/AlbusGellertAlways
Summary: Gellert returns Bathilda Bagshot's home, all a dither after the threeway duel.  Bathilda refuses to make a portkey for him and instead of letting him leave, encourages him to go talk to Albus.   Will her interference save Albus and Gellert's relationship?
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Series: Grindeldore Oneshots [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1192786
Comments: 9
Kudos: 34





	Don't Let Him Leave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Litsetaure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Litsetaure/gifts).



> A/N: It’s time for a ‘fix-it’ fic! I’ve never written one for Grindeldore and it is high time that I do. Also, ‘Priori Incantatum’ hasn’t been invented yet. It’s the only explanation I can come up with to explain why Albus and Aberforth don’t just use that to check their wands to see if their wand cast the spell that killed Ariana.

Disclaimer: JKR owns it.

.~.

Don’t Let Him Leave

.~.

_Godric’s Hollow_

_August 1 st, 1899_

Bathilda Bagshot awoke with a start, unnerved by a dream she’d just experienced. It had been the strangest dream. An elderly wizard in flowing violet robes had appeared to her. Although the wizard’s form was a bit fuzzy, she could tell he radiated with strong magic. His discerning blue eyes seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place them. The wizard only said four words. 

_Don’t let him leave._

Bathilda thought this to be particularly odd and rather vague. Let _who_ leave? But the dream quickly faded and she rose to go about her day.

After she dressed and freshened up, Bathilda headed downstairs to make breakfast. Her great-nephew was nowhere to be found at present and she assumed he was at the Dumbledore home. She found a letter from him, detailing where he was so she wouldn’t worry. Gellert was always thoughtful like that. 

She picked up the letter and found the ink wasn’t quite dry. She skimmed its contents.

.~.

_Dear Aunt Bathilda,_

_I just left to visit the Dumbledores. We’re finally going to do it - we’re telling Aberforth that we’re taking Ariana and going far away from here. Flamel is prepared to take us in so we can live in peace in Paris. I haven’t yet told Albus the news, but I’ve been corresponding with a healer in southern France that is certain she can cure Ariana’s affliction. It’s going to be a wonderful surprise for Albus, who has spent so many nights wondering if us leaving with Ariana is the right thing for her even though Ari has said that she wants to go. All we have to do is convince Aberforth that we are doing this for Ariana’s own good._

_Albus’ buffoon of a brother is very stubborn, so I don’t expect it will be an easy conversation. Still, Albus promised that he would back me up, that we are doing this as a team. It will be best for Aberforth as well, as he will be free to return to Hogwarts and finish his schooling. Wish me luck._

_-Gellert_

_.~._

Bathilda sighed and put the letter aside. She wasn’t sure that Gellert getting involved in the affairs of the Dumbledore family was wise, but she knew she couldn’t stop him from trying. It was plain as day that Gellert loved Albus, and that that love was fervently returned. Although they weren’t aware of it, Bathilda had once stumbled upon their silver pendant containing two drops of blood. She recognized it for what it was - a blood troth, more sacred and binding than marriage. 

She didn’t need to see the evidence of their troth to know Gellert would do anything for Albus, even push back his own plans for the future so he could help Albus’ ill sister. Gellert would need all the luck he could get, as Aberforth Dumbledore was quick to anger and reach for his wand. That temper was inherited and had gotten his father a one-way ticket to Azkaban. 

_Be careful, Gellert._

After a quick breakfast, the renowned historian sat down at her desk to work on her latest manuscript - _Hogwarts, A History._ She doubted she’d finish it anytime soon, as it was her life’s ambition to collect everything she knew about Hogwarts and put it in one book _._ However, she couldn’t concentrate. She had a gnawing feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong but she didn’t know what. 

_Crash._

She started at the sound as Gellert came tearing through the back door. His robes were askew, his face drained of all color.

“Gellert?” Bathilda stood up, alarmed by her nephew’s presence, who seemed all a dither. “What’s happened?”

Gellert’s hands were shaking, his whole body shaking. “I-I can’t stay here any longer. I’ve got to leave the country. Perhaps I’ll go home.”

Bathilda blinked. Gellert hated his home, which was one of the reasons he’d moved in with her. “Whatever for?”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” Gellert growled, raising his wand and causing her to tense and take a step back. “Sorry.” Gellert immediately lowered his wand. His expression softened, but the fear was still there. “Please, you have to help me.” Gellert sounded broken. “I need a portkey.”

“A portkey? Why?” Bathilda sounded confused. “That will take me a bit to arrange.”

“I can’t wait that long.” Gellert swayed on his feet before sinking to the floor. He curled in on himself into the fetal position. “Shit. I fucked it all up.”

“Gellert?” Now Bathilda was really frightened. While she had no illusions on how Gellert spoke when he was not in her company, Gellert never swore in front of her nor did he collapse.

She knelt down next to him and gently touched his shoulder. “Gellert, love, you’ve got to calm down.” 

Gellert started to hyperventilate. It took a few minutes for his breath to even out with Bathilda’s assistance. “I… I have to leave. It’s the only way. They’ll put me in Azkaban. I won’t have a chance if I go on trial, as I’m the boy who was expelled from Durmstrang. I can’t be locked away, Aunt Bathilda. I can’t! If I'm held in isolation, I’ll go mad. It was an accident I swear! And now I’ve lost him forever.” Tears were streaming down Gellert's face as he made his confession.

“Azkaban,” Bathilda said faintly as she gently rubbed his shoulders. “Gellert, you’re not making sense. _What_ was an accident?”

But Gellert clammed up about the subject. “I shouldn’t say more. It’s best that you don’t know the details in case the Aurors question you.”

Then Bathilda realized someone’s absence, which frightened her more than anything else. “Gellert, where’s Albus? Why would he leave you alone when you’re so distressed?”

Gellert let out a tiny sob. “He hates me now. Our relationship is surely over. He won’t want to see me ever again - not after this. I’ve got to leave – it’s the only way out.”

Suddenly, Bathilda had a flashback to her dream and the old wizard’s words. _Don’t let him leave._

“No,” she said forcefully. 

Gellert looked up, shocked. He uncurled on himself and sat up. “ _No_?”

“No,” said Bathilda, her voice firm. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Fine, I’ll make a portkey myself.” Gellert managed to get to his feet, but Bathilda placed the body-binding curse on him and slowly maneuvered him against a wall. The fact that he didn’t deflect it told her that Gellert was in serious trouble. Either he was extremely distracted, or his magic had been recently drained from overuse – or perhaps both. 

“Now you listen to me, Gellert Grindelwald.” Bathilda’s voice was deceptively calm. “You are not slinking away from this like a coward. Whatever you’ve done, you will find a way to make it right – for yours and Albus’ sakes.” She pointed her wand and muttered a spell, allowing Gellert to move his face to respond.

“I-I can’t. I think I killed her,” Gellert whispered. 

“Killed?” Bathilda’s blood ran cold. Although she was shocked, Gellert was her priority as always. “Gellert, no matter what you’ve done, let me help you. I won’t let the Aurors take you. I can hide you until whatever you did gets straightened out.”

Gellert shook his head. “ _No one_ can help me. I crossed a line and there’s no going back. I’ll have to carry out our plans alone.”

“Gellert, who is the ‘her’ you are referring to?” Bathilda thought she knew, but she wanted Gellert’s confirmation.

“Ariana.” Gellert’s voice caught on the word. “She got in the way. Fucking Aberforth. We fought him, Albus and me until Albus turned on me after I lost control. Our blood pact worked against us. One of our spells ricocheted and hit Ariana in the chest. It wasn’t the killing curse, but it severed her from her Obscurus and she was too weak to stand it. Life drained from her as she lay on the floor, with Albus and Aberforth sobbing at her side. It could have been my spell, Albus’, or Aberforth’s but it was my fault for provoking Aberforth.”

Bathilda tried to follow all that Gellert said but it was difficult. Obscurus? Aberforth? Ariana dead, possibly by Gellert’s hand? She tried to push away her shock, she could deal with it later. No matter what he’d done, Gellert needed her to remain calm and alert.

“Gellert, while I don’t condone what you did, it sounds like whatever happened was an accident.” She gently reached out and patted his hand. “Surely Albus cannot fault you for that.”

“He can. I cast the Cruciatus Curse at Aberforth," Gellert confessed. "I know I shouldn’t have done it; he’s Albus’ brother and I knew Albus loved him. He’s been awful to us, saying what we feel for each other is unnatural. He’s also been poisoning Albus against me all summer, saying that I’m only sticking around so I can use Albus to get to Ariana. He said that I meant to bottle and steal Ariana’s Obscurus and use it for my… experiments.”

Bathilda sucked in a breath. “And did you?”

“That was my original plan, yes,” Gellert admitted. “I heard the rumors that an Obscurial resided in Godric’s Hollow, which led to me coming to visit you, along with the lure of the Hallows. But then I fell in love with Albus and I met Ariana. After that, everything changed. Instead of trying to extract the Obscurus for my own purposes, I tried to find a way to save Ariana because of what she meant to Albus – and to me. She was a kind soul and didn’t deserve her fate. My priorities shifted and I didn’t care what happened to the Obscurus – I just wanted Ariana to be safe and healthy. But I couldn’t hide my guilt over my original plan when Aberforth brought it up and the seed of doubt was planted in Albus’ mind.

Then Aberforth provoked me, said I was stealing his family away. I tried to tell him and Albus about the healer for Ariana, but Aberforth cut me off. Then Aberforth said he watched us make the blood pact and what we did afterward. He...he said what we did was an abomination, something the muggles call a sin. I wanted to make him _hurt_ for that and that’s when I lost it. Albus turned against me and defended his brother, although he didn’t attack me directly. We dueled for a bit and then Ariana came downstairs. She saw me and Aberforth fighting, with Albus trying to prevent it. She begged for us to stop but we didn’t. Then she tried to intervene but the Obscurus exploded out of her. It came for me and Aberforth. 

Albus tried to stop it, pleading with Ariana not to hurt us, to hurt him instead. But by that time, it was too late. One of our spells hit her, breaking her connection with the Obscurus and severely weakening her. The Obscurus knocked all of us off our feet and fled. When we came to our senses, we found Ariana lying on the floor – dead.” 

Bathilda released the spell and pulled Gellert into a hug. He resisted at first but allowed her to hold him as he sobbed in her arms.

“Gellert, there must be a way we can fix this.”

“How can we?” Gellert cried. “Ariana’s _dead_. There’s no changing that.”

“I know. It was a tragic accident.” She frowned. “Did you ever tell Albus that you’d found a healer for Ariana?”

“No,” Gellert sniffed. He wiped away the snot from his nose with his sleeve. “There wasn’t time.”

“At the very least Albus needs to know that,” Bathilda gave him a knowing look. 

“It would be useless to try,” Gellert muttered. “He won’t believe me if I tell him.”

“Perhaps not, but he might believe your letter that you wrote to me. Show it to him.” Bathilda held up the letter that Gellert had written earlier. “You owe it to him to try.”

“I can’t.” Gellert tensed. “Aberforth has probably called the Aurors.”

“I doubt it,” said Bathilda. “Not yet. He and Albus are most likely in shock. They will also need to come up with a believable story as to why Ariana is dead.”

“They’ll blame me. Which is a good reason why I shouldn’t go back,” Gellert pointed out.

“I’ll go with you,” Bathilda countered. “You won’t be alone in this, Gellert.”

“But what about Aberforth? He’ll never let me get near Albus.”

“I’ll take care of Aberforth,” Bathilda promised. “I’ll say I heard talk from the neighbors about a loud noise and demand to come inside. He’ll be so flustered that you can sneak in and find Albus. Don’t let him turn you away until he’s seen the letter.”

“I wish there was a spell for us to find out who killed her.” Gellert gripped his wand so tightly he was surprised it didn’t break. He set it aside, deciding to see Albus without it. His wand had done enough damage.

“You are better off not knowing, I think,” said Bathilda.

Gellert looked sadly at his aunt. “Perhaps you’re right." He steeled himself. "Alright, I’ll go to him. But if Albus asks me to leave, I’ll do as he asks. You have to promise not to interfere.”

“Very well,” said Bathilda. “But only if you do your best to explain yourself.”

“I’ll try.”

Bathilda’s voice softened. “I know you will. Where did Ariana die?”

“The parlor,” Gellert informed her.

“Ah. Take my hand.” Bathilda grabbed Gellert’s hand and apparated them directly into the Dumbledore's backyard. 

Gellert hid behind a tree as Bathilda rapped on the back door. She didn’t stop until someone answered it.

“Go away.”

Gellert tensed when he heard who it was.

“Aberforth, are you and Albus alright?” Bathilda fretted. “One of my neighbors informed me there was a commotion.”

“We’re fine,” Aberforth said through gritted teeth. “Leave us.”

“Not until I see the man of the house.” Bathilda stared him down. “I must talk to your guardian. You’re hiding something, Aberforth. I can tell. If you won’t let me in, I’ll just have to go around you and find Albus myself.”

“That would be breaking and entering,” Aberforth sneered. 

“Young man, you don’t want to cross me.” Bathilda quickly disarmed Aberforth and pointed her wand at him. “I’m coming in.”

Startled, Aberforth moved aside. 

“Where’s Albus?” Bathilda asked.

“He’s in his room.”

“Where’s your sister?”

Aberforth gulped.

“Take me to her. _Now_ ,” Bathilda bellowed. 

Aberforth glared at Bathilda but headed towards the parlor. She followed him and motioned behind her for Gellert to come behind her.

Gellert snuck in and silently climbed the stairs just as he’d done many times over the summer. Once he reached the landing at the top, he quietly knocked on the door.

“Go away, Aberforth,” Albus snapped from inside. “Just leave me alone. I need to think about what we should do next.”

Undeterred, Gellert carefully opened the door and stood in the doorway, unarmed.

Albus’ reflexes kicked in. He jumped up from the bed and pointed his wand at the intruder. Albus stiffened when he realized it was Gellert. Anguish resided in those piercing blue eyes. 

They stared at each other for a few seconds, not daring to speak. Both boys jumped when they heard a loud voice coming from downstairs.

“ABERFORTH DUMBLEDORE! What did you DO?” Bathilda shrieked from the parlor.

“You brought your aunt here after what happened? Are you _insane_?” Albus cried.

“Bathilda is buying me time by keeping Aberforth busy so I could talk with you.” Gellert’s expression was guarded. 

Albus looked furious at the intrusion. “Does she know?”

“I told her everything,” Gellert said heavily. “I was going to leave the village but she convinced me to come back here and talk to you.”

“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Albus said coldly. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Hear me out,” Gellert pleaded. “Then I’ll leave and never return if that is what you want.”

Albus’ normally twinkling eyes were filled with pure loathing. “Why _should_ I? You betrayed me in the worst possible way.”

“Because of this.” Gellert pulled out their silver pendant that was hanging around his neck. 

Albus’ breath hitched but he didn’t speak.

Gellert pulled out the letter from his pocket and offered it to Albus. “I didn’t tell you about this because it was going to be a surprise. I wrote it to Bathilda this morning before I came here. Read it.”

Albus snatched the piece of parchment from his hand and skimmed it. “Is this true?” He asked faintly. “That you found a healer for Ariana with a cure for her condition?” He frowned. “Or are you trying to trick me?”

“Why would I write a letter to my aunt and lie? It’s the truth, Albus,” Gellert insisted. “I wanted to save Ariana. You _know_ that. I never wanted this for her.”

Albus’ frown deepened. “Why did you attack my brother?”

“He drew his wand and I was afraid he was going to hurt you.” Gellert knew it was a flimsy excuse but it was the truth. “My fight or flight response kicked in, and I had to fight. My protective instincts surfaced as well.”

Albus scoffed at that. “I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.”

“I know,” Gellert said quietly. “But ever since we made our troth, I’ve felt more protective of you than ever. It’s like a second sense. Tell me you haven’t felt that too.”

Slowly, Albus nodded.

Gellert took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Aberforth provoked me. He knew how much his words would affect me. If he had just insulted me, I would’ve ignored it. But he insulted _us_ , what we have.”

“Had.” 

That single cutting word _hurt._ Gellert could feel his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. He winced and closed his eyes, not wanting to Albus see how much he was affected. But he couldn’t hide this, not from Albus. He forced himself to open his eyes. “Albus, I’m so sorry for what happened. Could…” Gellert swallowed hard. “Could you ever forgive me?”

“Forgive you? _Forgive_ you!” Albus exploded, his wand trembling as he kept it trained on Gellert. “You had a hand in my sister’s death. You lost control and tortured my brother. And you broke my heart.”

Gellert finally saw the same emotion reflecting in Albus’ eyes that he was feeling – bitter, bitter anguish. “I swear I didn’t mean to torture him. You were threatened and my instincts kicked in. You know what kind of a childhood I had. I’ve been trying to master my impulses with your help, but back then the Cruciatus Curse was the only way I could defend myself. I unconsciously cast that curse, Albus. Once I realized it, I immediately stopped but by then it was too late. You were convinced that I was a heartless monster. Albus, think about it. Why would I purposely hurt your brother right in front of you? I wouldn’t,” Gellert pleaded.

Albus let out a long sigh as he realized the truth. “No. You wouldn’t consciously do that. But still, it happened.”

Gellert raised his hands, palms facing out. “I’ve said my peace. If you tell me to leave, I will. But if you say those words, I’m never coming back. I mean it, Albus. My heart couldn’t take it. I still love you. I always will, even if we are apart.”

Albus stared at Gellert, his brow knitted as he mulled it over. Gellert had apologized. He’d demonstrated remorse for his actions and explained them. If he was truly honest with himself, losing Gellert was the thing that had hit him hardest. It should’ve been Ariana’s death and the fact that his relationship with Aberforth would be tarnished forever, but all he could think about was losing Gellert. Since Gellert had the courage to come back, they could have another chance to start anew. If Albus let Gellert go now, he knew he’d regret it for the rest of his life. But he had questions, questions that desperately needed answering.

“Let me ask you something.” Albus stared intently at Gellert. “You told me you were expelled from Durmstrang for doing twisted experiments, for breeding magical creatures that by normal standards shouldn’t exist.”

Gellert’s heart sank, as his past was working against him. “Yes, I did. To study them and the different combinations I could make.”

“You also told me you practiced the Cruciatus Curse on animals,” Albus recalled. “It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch if…”

“Albus, I never cast it on humans.” Gellert’s voice slightly wobbled. “Never. I cast it on vermin I found in the forest along with the occasional deer or fox. I usually obliviated the animals when I was finished and returned them to the forest. Very rarely did I kill. I was studying the effects of the curse on animals. Muggles have done worse in the name of science. I was entranced by the sheer power that came with that curse. I wanted to see if, in small doses, it could somehow be used safely. We talked about this, Albus. My studies have nothing to do with what happened.”

“And what about the Obscurus?” Albus crossed his arms. “Did you want to get your hands on it?”

Gellert reluctantly nodded. “At first I did. I didn’t care how I did it, either. But once I got to know you and your sister, my plans abruptly changed. Controlling an Obscurus would’ve been exactly what my revolution needed to intimidate and get those who resisted me to fall in line. But after I fell in love with you, everything was different. I was in a very dark place when I came here, Albus. You knew that. You knew it and you loved and accepted me anyway. Was that all a lie?”

“Of course not!” Albus looked horrified. “I just got scared when you cast that curse on my brother. The Gellert I knew and loved was gone. In his place was someone I’d never seen before. The hate and malice reflecting in your eyes frightened me, made me doubt all I thought I knew about you. But that was one of Aberforth’s aims, wasn’t it? To tear us apart.” Albus’ eyes widened as he realized the truth. “He played me. He played both of us. And all because he thought he was protecting Ariana from you. It was a misunderstanding. A fucked-up misunderstanding, but one nonetheless.”

Gellert dared to hope. 

“I don’t want you to go,” Albus confessed. “I-I want to try and start over. I’ve lost my sister, and likely my brother. I can’t lose you too.”

“Thank Merlin.” Gellert moved towards Albus. They clutched at each other as they cried in each other’s arms. 

"Albus, I'm sorry," Gellert pleaded. "I shouldn't have-"

"I know, darling," Albus cut him off and gently touched Gellert's cheek. "I know." He rested his forehead against Gellert's, causing them both to sigh.

Albus pulled away so he could look Gellert in the eye. “This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you. I don’t know if I ever fully will – perhaps in time. But I still want to be with you.”

Gellert knew he was pushing his luck but he had to know. “Do you still love me?”

“Yes,” Albus said brokenly. “Yes, always. That was never in doubt, no matter what you did.”

A single tear rolled down Gellert’s cheek. “I’m so glad I came back.”

“Me too,” Albus whispered as he wiped Gellert's tear away.

Gellert realized he might be over-staying his welcome. He reluctantly took a step towards the doorway. “I want to stay but I’ve got to get out of here before your brother finds me.” 

“Not to worry.” Bathilda entered the room before Gellert could reach the doorway. The boys had been so wrapped up in each other that they hadn’t heard her climb the stairs. “Aberforth won’t be bothering us for a few hours. I cast a strong sleeping spell on him so we can figure out how to proceed.” She anxiously turned to Gellert. “Well? Did you talk it out?”

Gellert nodded. He reached for Albus’ hand, who intertwined their fingers. “We have a lot to work through. But Albus and I are staying together,” Gellert said firmly. 

Bathilda let out a sigh of relief. As the boys embraced once again, she thanked the unknown wizard in her dream for giving her the insight to prevent Gellert from leaving Albus forever. 

.~.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I know in HBP from Dumbledore’s worst memory it reads like “don’t hurt them, hurt me instead" refers to Gellert hurting Aberforth and Ariana and Albus trying to protect his siblings but it’s so hard for me to believe that’s true. Does Gellert want to hurt Aberforth? Yes. But I just can’t see him turn his wand on Ariana. Let’s assume that Gellert is mainly motivated by his love for Albus. Even after losing control against Aberforth, he would never deliberately kill a sweet little girl (Obscurial or not) that he sympathizes with about having to hide. He and Albus are trying to FREE her by planning to take her with them under the cloak. 
> 
> Or if you assume Gellert is motivated by evil and selfish gain, (which I don’t believe) Gellert wouldn’t kill Ariana in front of Albus. He just wouldn’t. If he wanted to kill Ariana to free Albus from being stuck in Godric’s Hollow so Albus would be at Gellert’s side while they carried out their plans, he knows how to be sneaky. He would find a way to kill her NOT in front of Albus because he wants Albus with him and if Albus found out, he would surely leave Gellert which he doesn’t want. I am curious as to what the whole story is, and I hope when the threeway duel comes up in the movies, we get Gellert’s point of view as well as Albus’. 
> 
> What do you think? Do “don’t hurt them, hurt me instead’ refers to Gellert or Ariana under the control of the Obscurus?


End file.
